Oliver
Wellock
Employee
661886
Decision - Employee-related decision
Outcome: Control of non-qualified staff (Section 43 / Section 99 order)
Outcome date: 1 September 2020
Published date: 27 October 2020
Firm details
Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome
Name: JWK Legal Group Limited
Address(es): 5 Thurnham Street, Lancaster LLA1 1XU
Firm ID: 567161
Outcome details
This outcome was reached by SRA decision.
Decision details
IN THE MATTER OF:
Oliver James Wellock a person who is or was involved in a legal practice but is not a solicitor.
THE FACTS
Oliver Wellock of Morecombe, Lancashire was employed as a paralegal at JWK Solicitors, 5 Thurnham Street, Lancaster LLA1 1XU from June 2000 to September 2018. He stole £93,466.81 from the firm between 1 November 2014 and 31 August 2018.
On 25 February 2020 Oliver Wellock was convicted of ‘theft by employee’ and on 2 June 2020 he was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment and ordered to pay a statutory surcharge of £100.
Oliver Wellock was found to have acted dishonestly and made subject to an order under section 43 Solicitors Act 1974. He was ordered to pay costs of £600.
FINDING
Oliver Wellock, who is not a solicitor, was involved in a legal practice and has been convicted of a criminal offence which is such that it is undesirable for him to be involved in a legal practice in any of the ways described in the order below.
ORDER
To make an order pursuant to section 43 in relation to Oliver Wellock that:
- no solicitor shall employ or remunerate him in connection with his/her practice as a solicitor;
- no employee of a solicitor shall employ or remunerate him in connection with the solicitor's practice;
- no recognised body shall employ or remunerate him;
- no manager or employee of a recognised body shall employ or remunerate him in connection with the business of that body;
- no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit him to be a manager of the body; and
- no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit him to have an interest in the body except in accordance with the SRA’s permission.